Preseason Itemization Preview

Another riot poster stated that early items will have more lategame build options, to prevent you from being locked into a specific path every game, but also to be more adaptable to enemy items. What is there to stop a carry or AD caster from actively countering any defenses that the enemies build?

Example: You build early ArPen assuming the enemy tank will build armor, but they build health and regen, so you simply build your early ArPen into a more damage based lategame item, wich defeats the purpose of trying to build tanky in the first place. How will tanks stay competitive?

By building smart and getting both health AND resistances. I see far too many people stacking either one or the other.

1.) AP needs a better way to deal with tanks other than DFG. DFG is anti-fun and in line with Morello's thoughts think this item should probably be removed. Torch or something similar (% burn as magic damage) is probably a good place to start to help AP casters deal with tanks.

It depends. On a low armored target, Black Cleaver % reduction won't be doing much for you anyway so you should tap your full-combo.

On a high armored target, think about pre-applying some stacks via autoattacks before blowing your main damage spells. Pantheon's Spear Shot, for example, has something akin to a 4 second cooldown. If you're really up against a tank/bruiser with high armor / low health - suddenly that pre-fight harass becomes much more important to how your full-combo pans out.

Pantheon, Pantheon, Pantheon, Pantheon....sigh
ok we know that he can do cool stuff with his super low cd Q poke but can Talon do the same? his CD and mana cost on Rake are to big so no way to shred enemy armor before doing his combo....
I srsly hope that there will be AT LEAST 1 new item perfectly viable for Talon that will make him rise again.....

So Xyph, since Magic Penetration is getting the nerf stick - what can i expect as an Akali only player in return? Generally, do you wanna move magic damage into Ability Power? When will you be disclosing information in this regard?
Especially, did you change the AD flat / AP flat rune values (in regards to procing the passive...)?

You do realise that by buffing black cleaver, this makes AD champions and especially AD Tanky Champions such as garen far more overpowered that before. This would cause people to take advantage of that and just dominate all game

You do realise that by buffing black cleaver... this makes AD Tanky Champions much more overpowered

Yes and no? AD Tanky Champions output a wide array of magical and physical damage mostly. Udyr and Shyvana for example, are split pretty heavily between magical and physical - while characters like Darius and Irelia do magic/phys/true.

They don't care about your armor. They care about their *own* armor.

If you're talking about Garen specifically, being overpowered, that's kind of his own thing - but again, one of the largest sources of Garen's damage is magic-based.

You sounded kind of weary of the Tiamat in your prior post. Can tell us if it or another item like it is going to be around? I personally use it with Fiora frequently and without it, I feel she is no longer viable (not that sshe really is to begin with). Plus, it is a fun item....

On the subject of new items and armor penetration, do you intend to add armor pen boots? Boot choice has always been somewhat of a problem for AD Casters, with Ninja Tabi/Merc threads not feeling very suited to the role and Ionian boots being the only other real choice but very situational.